Client dinners and receptions around conferences at RAI Amsterdam

A Culinary Affair is a full-service culinary event agency based in Amsterdam. We organise client dinners, receptions, walking dinners and corporate events for Dutch and international companies attending conferences and trade fairs at RAI Amsterdam. For groups of 20 to 500 guests, we take care of the food, drinks, staff, transport, rental materials, styling and planning. We also work directly with international event agencies, event managers, personal assistants and executive assistants looking for a local event partner in Amsterdam. Why host a side event during a conference? A conference brings the right people to one place, but rarely gives you time with them. Between sessions, stand visits and back-to-back meetings, most conversations last a few minutes. An evening dinner or reception gives you a smaller group, a good table and time to talk properly. In our experience, it is also what guests remember. After days in exhibition halls, an evening by the water, in a garden or at a private venue in Amsterdam stays with people long after the conference itself. Major international conferences at RAI Amsterdam RAI Amsterdam hosts large international trade fairs and conferences throughout the year, including: Aquatech Amsterdam – international water technology trade show, next held in March 2027. PLMA’s World of Private Label – international trade show for retailers and private-label manufacturers. PROVADA – the largest real estate platform in the Netherlands, with 27,089 visitors in 2025. Money20/20 Europe – fintech, payments, banking and financial services technology. GreenTech Amsterdam – international horticulture technology exhibition. IBC Amsterdam – media and entertainment technology, with 41,225 attendees from 170 countries in 2026. DMWF Europe – attended by CMOs, marketing directors and senior marketing leaders. METSTRADE – the world’s largest trade exhibition for marine equipment, with more than 1,400 exhibitors. If you are planning a client dinner or corporate event alongside one of these conferences, it is worth starting early. During major conference weeks, suitable Amsterdam venues, hotels and transport are in high demand. An example: a client evening during PROVADA After a day at PROVADA, we hosted an international group of corporate clients for an evening in Amsterdam: a private boat tour through the city, followed by dinner. For the host, the entire evening ran through one point of contact, from transporting guests after the conference to the food, drinks, service and timing of dinner. It is a format that works particularly well around international conferences: guests experience something of Amsterdam while the host has the time and setting to properly connect with clients. Venues near RAI Amsterdam for a client dinner or reception We work at venues throughout Amsterdam and can help find a location based on the number of guests, format, atmosphere and budget. For events around RAI Amsterdam, these two suit very different kinds of evenings: Botanische Tuin Zuidas – Van der Boechorststraat 8, Amsterdam A garden in the middle of Amsterdam’s Zuidas business district, where A Culinary Affair has organised many events and is one of the recommended culinary partners. The glass-walled Wintertuin seats up to 60 guests for dinner from May to late October and 40 in winter, or accommodates standing receptions for up to 120 guests in summer and 80 in winter. Huize Zonnewijzer – Valeriusplein, Amsterdam Oud-Zuid A 1919 Amsterdam School villa, now home to the gallery and studio of artist Micky Hoogendijk. The venue combines an atmospheric room with fireplace, a dining room surrounded by art and a sculpture garden. It is particularly suited to walking dinners and receptions for up to 50 guests, or an intimate seated dinner for up to 12. We can also organise corporate dinners and receptions at clients’ own offices, or work at a venue you have already selected. What does A Culinary Affair take care of? Every event starts with a conversation and a proposal created for that particular occasion rather than a standard package. The evening can be a reception with bites, a walking dinner where guests move and mingle, or a seated multi-course dinner. Depending on the event, we can take care of: menu and food prepared by our own chefs, including dietary requirements wines, cocktails, aperitifs and alcohol-free options venue sourcing in Amsterdam transport between RAI Amsterdam, hotels and the venue, including by boat chefs, service staff and an event manager rental materials and styling set-up, breakdown and event production planning around the conference programme For international companies and event agencies, A Culinary Affair can act as the local culinary and production partner in Amsterdam, coordinating the event and its suppliers on the ground. Planning a client dinner or corporate event during a conference in Amsterdam? Whether you are organising from Amsterdam or abroad, tell us the conference, date, approximate number of guests and what you have in mind. We can advise on the format, venue, logistics and culinary programme.